Portable air conditioning and purifying device



Jan. 17, 1939. Ff'w. KLEIN 25 PORTABLE AIR QONDITIONING AND PURIFYING DEVICE Filed Aug. 7, 19 55 2 Sheets-Shed: 1

Jan. 17, 1939. F. w. KLEIN 2,144,426

PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONING AND PURlFYiNG DEVICE I I Fi led Aug. '7, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheot 2 T? TEE]? III Patented Jan. 17, 1939 PORTABLE AIR. ooNDITiQNING m),

PURIFYINGDEYICE Frank W. Klein, St. Paul, Application August 7, 1935, Serial No. 35,156

5 Claims.

My invention relates to an air conditioning device wherein I provide a means of circulating air by a unit which is self-contained and adapted to be easily operated when placed in any room or within a building where the air therein is adapted to be circulated and conditioned by my device.

A feature of my device resides in a simple, unitary structure which may be readily set up in any convenient place and which'is adapted to circulate the air through my device which washes and cleanses the air from dust and other impurities, and conditions the same during the process of circulation to clarify it and when it is desired, to cool or lower the temperature of the air without overloading with moisture.

My device is of a unitary character, being compact, and is portable when itis'desired, so that it may be conveniently set upto operate to condition and purify the air.

A primary feature resides in drawing the air through a rotating film of water or several films formed by the rotation of the film forming mary importance because it permits air to be purified and conditioned in an easy and economic'almanner. 2 v

These features and details, together with other objects and construction of my air reconditioning device, will be more fully and clearly hereinafter set forth.

' In the drawings forming part of my specification:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my air conditioning and purifying device.

'Figure 2 is a side sectional elevation of the same.

Figure-3 illustrates one of the air screens and moisture film forming discs.

Figure 4 is a plan view of my air conditioning and purifying unit, with the cover portion removed.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fi ure 4.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-45 of ure 4.

Figure 7 is a section on the line of Figure 4. I v

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Figure 4. My

Fig-

air conditioning device A comprises a (01. gel-+92) housing ill from one side of which extends a frame ll. formed. of angle iron side members l2, and angle iron end members I3 and I4. Bolts secure the. end member l3 to the housing Ill. The frame l is further supported by a pair of braces it, which are secured by the bolts I! to the side members: l2 of the frame II, and which are secured by bolts I 8 to the housing Ill at a point substantially above the bolts l5, and near the top of the housing. V

A platform I9 is secured to the housing In a jacent the end opposite the end 29 to which the frame I1 is secured. This platform I9 is reinforced by a base 22 which extends down level with the bottom of the housing Ill. The platform is designed to support the motor23, which is secured on the top thereof.

Within the housing It! is positioned a fan 24 having a shaft 25 in parallel relationship to the shaft 26 of the motor 23. This shaft 25 is pro-- vided with a sleeve 21 which extends through replaceable bearings 28 in bearing supports 29. The bearing supports 29 are secured to a shelf 30 extending transversely across within the housing It]. The shaft 25 extends through the adjacent wall 32 of the housing I0, and is provided with a'pulley or sprocket 33. A belt or chain 34 connects the pulley or sprocket 33 with a pulley or sprocket 35 on the shaft 26 of the motor 23.

A vertical partition 36 within the casing Ill forms a support for the casing 31 of the fan 24, and is provided with an aperture 38 coinciding with the inlet aperture 39 of the fan 24, but is larger in size than this inlet aperture 39. The fan 24 may be of any desired shape, but is shown provided with a pair of spaced rotatable plates 40 between which are secured a number of. substantially V-shaped blades 42 in spaced relationship about the periphery of the fan plates 40. The plate 49 next adjacent the inlet opening 39 is formed with a central opening 43 acting as an inlet to the rotor. The blades 42 act to forceair from the interior of the rotor through the outlet 44, seen in Figure 8 of the drawings.

- In the central opening 43 are mounted a series of radially extending shafts 45, journalled in a collar 46 in the shaft 25 and in ears 4?. on the rotor plate 40 containing the aperture 43. Adjustable fan blades 48 are mounted on each of these shafts 45. The angle of the blades 48 may be adjusted by adjusting the position of the shafts on the collar 46, or the position of the blades on the shafts 45.

A counter shaft 49, extending parallel to the.

The frame ll consists in a rectangle shaft 25, is mounted upon a flexible bearing 50, tending to draw the shaft 49 away from the shaft 25. A pulley 5| on the shaft 49 accommodates a belt 53 which extends 'over the sleeve 21 on the shaft 25. The shaft 49 is thus driven by the belt 53 from the shaft 25. A pulley 54 on'the other end of the shaft 49 accommodates a belt 55 which drives a pulley 56 on a. shaft 51. It

may be seen that the flexible bearing acts to tighten the belts 53 and 55.

The'shaft 51 is journalled-in a bearing 58 on the end member l3 of the frame ll, andalso in a, 1'

bearing 59 on a cross member 60 on the frame II. V

the housing ID. A substantially semi-circular hood or guard 62 is secured extending between .the side members l2 of the frame; closely adjacent the end 20 of the housing In. Mounted upon the shaft 51, and extending into close relationship to thehood or'guard Glare a' pair of film forming wheels 63. The inner of these wheels or the one next adjacent the housing In, is secured to turn with the shaft 51. The outer wheel 63 is similarly formed, but is selectively engageable with the shaft 51 to rotate therewith by means of a set screw 64,

In order to deflect any air from passing be-' tween the wheels 63 and the hood 62 and through the opening 6|, I'provide a deflector ring 65, a

' material forming thewheel. An outer hoop 10 is provided, which is secured to the central flange by means of. a mesh 'material 12.

material may be any suitable'mate-rial which is This mesh provided with perforations which may be bridged by water as: the wheel is rotated through a bath of water. A wire mesh screen can be used; a perforated plate could be made suitable,or one of a series of fabrics or other materials could. be

used if desired. The'wheel 53 is best illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings.

A liquidcontainer 13 is provided closely adjacent the frame H, and positioned beneath the frame El. The container 13 provides a reservoir of water through which the wheels 63 pass in the" rotation thereto. Almost half of the wheels 63 are submerged at all times. As the wheels 63 pass through the water, the water bridges the openings or perforations in the mesh material, and provide virtually a solid film wall of water through which the air must pass before entering the opening 5i inthe housing 10.; When both of the wheels 53 are in rotation, the air must pass through two films of water before entering the housing. 7

In order to prevent rotation of the wheel 63 when it is not secured to the shaft 51, one or more hooks i i, pivotally secured to the end member' E3 of the frame ll, is engaged into the mesh of the outer wheel 53, holding this wheel against rotation when. it is only desired to rotate the inner wheel 63.

Inoperation, when the motor 23 iis started, the

fan 24 starts'to rotate, drawing air through the inlet aperture 43 of the, fan rotor, and through the opening 5] in the end 29 of the housing 19.

The shaft 51 extends through'a substantially semi-circular opening 6| in the endgZU of 'it is only necessary to provide one film of water throughwhich the air must pass. If greater cooling is desired, or if the'air is exceptionally dirty or dusty, both of the wheels. 63 are rotated by.- the motor 23, thus providing a double wall or film of water through which the air must pass. 'I' have described a particular drive for the motor; It is understood that if it is desired, the motor can be connected directly to the shaft 25 bymeansfo-f a universal joint or the like, and the pulleys or sprockets 33 and 35, and the belt or chain 34 can be eliminated. Other drives and'belts'can be changed as desired, without changin'g'the invention. For example, gears can be used to connect the various driven elements. In accordance with the patent statutes, Ihave described the principles of operation of my air conditioning device, and while ,I have endeavored to set forth thebest embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood'that this is only illustrative of a means of carrying out my invention, and that obvious changes can be madev within the scope of, the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. An air conditioning device includinga fan,

a passage to said fan, a pair of wheels having openings therethrough in said passage, a shaft upon whichsaid wheels are mounted, means forpairof rotatable net-like surfaces ,in' said'inlet through which said air-must pass to sift and moisten the air; means for applying a constant filmof water over said net-like surface of one of said surfaces in said inlet, and means for se lectively rotating the other surface for applying a constant'film of moisture over the other of said surfaces in said inlet passage, said last named means acting to sift air passing therethrough at all times.

3. A portable air conditioning unit comprising a housing, a water tank within said housing, an

air fan having V-shapedair blades, side plates for supporting said air blades therebetweento position the same radiallyextending from the axis with the openings of the -V-shapedportions,

at the periphery of the fan:-whe'el, rotatable screen-like water film forming means adapted to adapted todirect the air drawn intosaid unit over and through said water film means and air bafile-means-between said water "film means 'andsaid fan to retard excess moisture being picked up by the air passing through saidunit;

4. A portable air conditioning unit comprising an air suction and blower fan, ahousing for inclosing said fan, air inlet passageways to the.

center of-said fan, rotatable andadjustable blades in said air inlet, an air outlet passage for said j-fan,.

a water tank, a water-film-fonningmeansmotatable'within said" tank, passageways for guiding air over and. through said water film means, and baflle means for retarding excess moisture from entering said fan and being forced out of said unit.

5. An air conditioner including a casing, a fan in said casing, an air inlet in said casing, a wheel adapted to carry a film of moisture rotatably mounted in the path of air entering said inlet, a second wheel in the path of air entering said inlet, means on said second wheel for sifting air and for carrying a film of moisture, means for moistening said wheels, means for imparting rotation to both of said wheels, and means for selectively holding one of said Wheels stationary to function merely as a sifting means.

FRANK W. KLEIN. 

